Against the Clock
by Razamataz22
Summary: Team Seven hadn't asked to be given a second chance at making things right, it was forced upon them without question? Yet are they able to rectify the wrongs of the world or will they burn it down themselves?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

...

"...Team Seven consists of Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke," announced Iruka as he looked up from the front of the class at the named students. For a moment it looked as if Sakura was going to cheer at the top of her lungs but she paused mid breath, not only her but all three of the newly appointed Genin.

"What the hell?" asked Naruto to nobody in particular as he looked around at the classroom as if he had only just woken up from a dream and had forgotten how he had gotten into class in the first place.

"I just said you were on a team with Sakura and Sasuke," declared Iruka.

"...okay," said Naruto meekly as he closed his eyes, seemingly having nothing more to say.

As Iruka continued announcing the teams, Sakura leant towards Sasuke, something which didn't go unnoticed by Ino who was fuming that the forehead girl was placed on the same team as their crush. "Is this real?" whispered Sakura to her teammate, worried about what was going on considering how difficult it was to believe.

"I believe Naruto is finding out," said Sasuke as he tried to activate his Sharingan, to feel the bloodline he cherished flow into his eyes. When nothing happened however he bit at the inside of his lip as he wondered just what was going on.

Sakura meanwhile was scanning side to side, acknowledging yet not believing what it was she was seeing. Had they been caught within the Infinite Tsukiyomi? No, she clearly remembered being safely underneath Sasuke's ultimate defense as she, Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke planned their next move. If they had been caught there was no way that the three of them would be stuck within the same genjutsu as they shouldn't realize that they were stuck in the first place.

The scribbling of paper snapped Sakura back into action as Naruto slid a note over to her. Only a couple of words were written on it but the message screamed out at her.

 _It's real._

Sakura gave a worrying look to both other members of Team Seven as confusion reigned supreme. None of them dared speak about it, they didn't want to say anything that would draw attention towards them.

Minutes ticked by as Jonin instructors came to pick up their teams, one by one the groups being led out by those who would guide them into the world of shinobi. Team Seven remained in place however, the last group of Genin waiting for complete isolation from everybody else so that they could talk. Their teacher however had other ideas.

"So, the three of you seem excited to be on the same team," said Iruka as he tried to pry a response out of the three teenagers. He knew he would be lucky to get a word out of Sasuke but the other two he knew would tell him about how ecstatic they were.

Or at least he thought they would.

"I'm sure your sensei isn't too far away," said Iruka starting to cling at straws, wondering just what was going on.

The three Genin however knew that Kakashi was still hours away and that Iruka simply didn't know of the Jonin's tendencies. Yet how could they explain to the teacher that they had spent what seemed like a lifetime fighting both with and against the silver haired ninja? How could they break it down that they had seen the deaths of thousands in little more than a handful of days?

How could they explain that they had seen war when they had only been given their headbands a week ago?

"Well...I've got to take this paperwork to the Hokage," said Iruka nervously as he shuffled with the files on his desk, clearly uncomfortable with the situation he was in. "Best of luck and I'll see the three of you soon."

Picking up the paperwork, Iruka sent one final look towards the remains of his class before exiting the room, closing the door behind him. Several more seconds ticked by and not a sound was made before Naruto broke the tension, not with a knife but with a trebuchet.

"THE HELLS GOING ON!"

...

Kakashi stood in a field, one he had stood in a thousand times over. The better question though was why he was standing in front of the memorial stone, looking at the name of his comrade who had supposed to die a ninja of the Leaf.

Not live on as the man determined to destroy the world.

Turning his gaze skyways he prayed that he wasn't trapped in the dream world his former teammate had prattled on about. He had to consider the possibility that the protection Sasuke had provided wasn't strong enough. Considering how dense his technique was he doubted that this was the case.

He had no idea of what year it was, let alone day. Almost every morning for years he had stood in front of this stone to mourn his friend. Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out a piece of paper, grateful that he could still recall his old habits (how old was still up for debate).

Reading the scrunched up paper a small smile formed underneath his mask as he realized just when he was.

...

"Alright, let's recap what just happened during that battle and why we are now back to the day we became a team," said Sakura as she stood at the front of the nearly empty classroom with a piece of chalk in her hand.

"I'd I was to hazard a guess, I'd say that when we were underneath Susanoo we activated a failsafe," said Sasuke with his fingers laced.

"Perhaps Asura and Indra who we inherited our strength from knew that Kaguya would one day return and if those carrying their will weren't ready they'd be given a chance to get ready," said Naruto.

"All right then, let's go with that," said Sakura as she marked it down on the blackboard.

It was safe to say, that this odd circumstance that Iruka and Sarutobi spied in on was not what either of them were expecting as the three fresh Genin continued to chat away in a rather docile manner. Both men were aware that there were likely to be malevolent sparks flying between the three members appointed to Team Seven. This was a recurring theme regarding the team at the end of each year which consisted of the best student and the worst of the class. Iruka hadn't shown it at the time but he had become worried when none of the children had acted how he had expected them to. It was for that very reason why he and the Third Hokage's now stared at the crystal orb in an attempt to figure out what was going on.

"I can see how this troubles you," said Sarutobi as he took a puff from his pipe. "Seeing Naruto sit in place for an extended period of time is surprising to me as well."

"When I announced the teams they merely sat there Hokage-sama," said Iruka. "Every other team either wished their newest teammates good fortune or argued over why they had to be stuck with a certain person. Considering Naruto is by far one of the loudest students I have recently taught I thought he'd be the most vocal about having to be on the same team as Sasuke."

"This, while worrying, isn't something we should linger on," said Sarutobi. "Perhaps they had known beforehand what team they would be placed on and opted to show that they were serious about becoming shinobi."

"A person's personality doesn't change in an instant," said Iruka.

"Well I'm sure if something were amiss Kakashi would inform us within the following days, provided they pass his test," said Sarutobi as the vision faded away from the crystal ball. "I'm sure everything will turn out alright."

...

"Well how do we prepare ourselves for what's going to happen," said Sakura as she finished drawing up her timeline of all the critical events that would occur within the next few years, ending with the war.

"We've been given a chance to change everything so why shouldn't we?" asked Naruto.

"Because we don't know just what the outcomes will be," said Sasuke as he walked towards the blackboard and pointed at the event in the timeline labelled Chunin Exams. "For instance, there are several key events in here we have to consider."

"You mean Orochimaru," said Sakura.

"Even before that," said Sasuke.

"You're talking about me shouting out in the test aren't you," said Naruto.

"For instance, if you don't act like yourself who knows how many more teams may give up and in that case we may actually avoid the preliminary finals and in turn Lee wouldn't fight Gaara," Sasuke broke down. "Considering the end result we should look at that as a definitive thing we should change."

"Agreed," said Naruto. "Even with those extra couple months we can give Lee training who knows just how much more he could improve."

"Alright, so this is something we can change," said Sakura as she marked it on the blackboard.

"You know that your own strength will have to increase a vast deal as well," said a familiar voice from the doorway revealing their Jonin instructor.

"Seems as if you came back as well," said Naruto. "Good to know we wouldn't have to train behind your back."

"Well it would seem that we are only back in mind, our strength is that which it was back at this time but this is something we can change quickly," said Kakashi. "I'll be able to reduce the number of missions we go on but we can't stop them altogether. For most of the mundane missions shadow clones will be used while we train in secret."

"Why in secret?" asked Sakura.

"Because we are in a time of peace," said Kakashi. "Spies are everywhere and if it looks as if freshly groomed Genin are preparing for war retaliations will be made. Every small change we make will affect something so minutely that it will snowball out of control if we are not careful. Even tomorrow we are meant to have the bell test and even though I already know that the three of you will pass we have to keep up appearances."

"We have two end goals we have to work towards," said Sasuke. "The changes we make have to ensure that these direct events don't occur."

"And which two moments in time are those?" asked Kakashi as he looked at the blackboard. Honestly the three students of his had been very thorough in their descriptions of what was yet to happen.

With the chalk in hand, Sakura circled a single name right near the end of the timeline. Kakashi agreed that that was indeed the end game.

"So just how are we going to deal with Madara?" asked Kakashi. In response, Sakura circled another name much closer to the start of the timeline, one which mildly confused Kakashi. "Kabuto?"

"Kabuto is the one who resurrects Madara and at that moment in time only he and Orochimaru are capable of using Edo Tensei," said Naruto.

"Orochimaru himself though told me he had no wish to join the war," said Sasuke. "He will not bring back Madara."

"That just leaves Obito," said Sakura.

"I will be the one to kill him," said Kakashi. "He's my responsibility."

"You know how strong he is though," said Naruto. "We'll help you."

"During the war we learnt how we can defeat him and I'll make sure we do so before he becomes the Jinchuuriki of the Juubi," said Kakashi. "If we could kill him at the Five Kage Summit then we could prevent the war entirely."

"Provided the Summit still happens," said Sasuke.

"Indeed," said Sakura as she marked on the board. "Any critical change we make from defeating an Akatsuki member to the Chuunin Exams and even our training will change the future."

"So I guess that means we have to act like our old selves in public, that's probably going to be the hardest part," said Naruto not really wanting to become the idiot he once was again. Undoubtedly he had become more mature over the past few years (which technically hadn't happened by this point) which made the idea of boasting atop a street pole that he would become Hokage less appealing. By all means it was still going to happen but after seeing everything that was yet to happen made it all the more clear that he had to achieve his goal, just in a different manner.

"Agreed, I remember that after the bell test tomorrow we go out for dinner with both Team Eight and Ten to celebrate," said Sakura. "While it would be great to play the speech out exactly the way we had before it is all but impossible to remember every detail. The future will change, no, it has already changed."

"I think that's enough on the topic for now," said Kakashi breaking the train of thought going on. "We'll meet up at the old training ground tomorrow and use that as a chance to figure out our current limitations. From there we can construct training schedules suited to maximize the time we have to reach out potential."

"Seems like you're taking our training seriously this time round," said Sasuke bluntly.

"Well I don't have to worry about teamwork exercises this time round," said Kakashi. "For example, Sasuke and I were able to push his speed up to successfully use the chidori in a month. This time round we should be able to do it in three weeks and start within the next couple of days as opposed to the time waiting for the Chunin Exam Finals. Unfortunately without Jiraiya here you won't be able to work with the toads Naruto but you should still remember all of the steps in order to create a Rasengan."

"Sure do," said Naruto knowing that he should have the technique down within a week since he knew all of the shortcuts this time round.

"The one thing Naruto that I do strongly urge is that you don't break the seal on Kuruma in the middle of the village," said Kakashi.

"Yea, he and I discussed that before," said Naruto sheepishly as he rubbed at the back of his neck. "I want to let him out of his cage as soon as possible and become as strong as I can but I know that as soon as the village feels Kuruma's chakra they'll panic. The longer we can maintain our final form will be beneficial."

"I think beneficial is a term that sells you short on so many levels," said Sakura. "You and Sasuke quite literally are destined to be the saviors of the world, the most powerful shinobi of this era. Beneficial just doesn't cut it."

"Well do you need Tsunade here to start working on your medical justu?" asked Kakashi.

"I remember about seventy percent of the theory, the rest of which I can likely find in the library on in the Hokage's office," said Sakura. "Putting it to practise will take time but I'll be able to have the basics down within a couple months."

"A couple of months lead us to our first big event," said Sasuke reverting everyone's attention back to the blackboard.

"Wave," said Kakashi. "The progress we'll make by then will be far greater than what it was and we'll have to make choices which will determine future events. For now though, I recommend a light solo training and stretching, remind yourself just what you are capable of before tomorrow so that you don't injure yourself trying something you don't know yet."

"Alright then, until tomorrow," said Sasuke as he stood up, making his way towards the exit.

"Hey Sakura," said Naruto garnering the pink haired kunoichi's attention before she left the room.

"What?"

"Would it be appropriate for me to ask you out for a bowl of ramen?" asked Naruto with a cheeky grin on his face.

"You know when I'm not working on medical jutsu I'm going to be working on strength, the same strength which can level buildings and crush boulders. Remember we are trying to act like our old selves but if I kill you by accident it's not my fault," said Sakura smiling back at Naruto, acknowledging the joke.

"Fair call," said Naruto as Sakura left the room leaving only him and Kakashi. "Are you alright sensei?"

"Arguably, I'm surprised all of us are taking this as well as we are," said Kakashi as he leaned against the wall. "Considering everything that we were experiencing what seemed like a few hours ago is years away we are quite calm about the whole thing."

"I think it's because we've been given a chance," said Naruto as he looked out the window. "We know the timeline that we've travelled down before and it ends with us on the losing side of things. We have dozens of opportunities to fix it now which just makes us feel a bit at ease."

"We all deal with war differently Naruto," said Kakashi as he made his way to the exit. "Remember, your team is here for you."

Looking over his shoulder, Naruto found himself alone and allowed his positive demeanour to fade away. He knew though that he likely wasn't the only one, the rest of Team Seven too were dealing with this situation in their own way and it was unlikely that any of them even knew how to cope with the situation. Was there even a way to deal with the situation?

Perhaps he was overthinking it, possibly even underthinking it but he couldn't help but fear that in their desperation to save the world they could possibly end up being the ones to destroy it.

...

 **Hope you enjoyed**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Sakura sat within the confines of her room looking out of the window with her knees pressed to her chest. To say that it had been odd to have dinner with her parents wasn't even slightly comprehending the awkwardness of the situation. They had asked her the questions she had expected them to, who was her Jonin instructor, who was on her team so on and so forth. Having to pretend that she still adored Sasuke was one thing but having to force herself to sound like she still hated Naruto reminded her of just how much she had distanced herself from the orange clad Genin as a child.

It truly was disgusting.

Running her fingers through her hair, a moment of realization pierced through her as she remembered just what length her hair was at this point in time, all for the point of being attractive for Sasuke. Beautiful yes, practical, well she had found that out the hard way.

Moving from her bed to her desk, she picked up a kunai before looking herself in the mirror. This seemed like one of those changes to the timeline that was so insignificant that it wouldn't have any further effect on the future. The only real way thing this would change was the Forest of Death where Kin held her by the hair and threatened her before Lee made his appearance (at least that's how she remembered it going). Considering they were taking things seriously this time round she didn't doubt that she would be able to defeat the Sound Team on her own.

Yet that was all in theory.

Putting the kunai back on the desk, Sakura allowed an elongated sigh to escape her lips. It was impossible for them to trace every step they had ever taken over three years, hell even completing a single day would be incredibly difficult. Every little change they made would snowball bigger and bigger down the track until the future they knew wouldn't even exist.

Again, this was all theoretically based on certain principles dictating that the future would end in three years whether their actions were directly related to the final act.

Or was it?

Rubbing at her temples, Sakura figured that it would be best to sleep on this. There was too much to contemplate and it would only be when they started noticing the differences would they be able to decide whether it was safe to change as much as they could or whether they should keep the future as close as possible to what it was.

When Kakashi arrived at the designated training ground, he wasn't surprised to see Naruto and Sasuke in the middle of a spar. With every fourth swing of a fist there was an overbalance and with every attempt to charge forward there was a good chance at a mild stumble. This unfortunately was essential for them to push forward by stepping back. Given that with every passing second they were on the improve, Kakashi prayed that they wouldn't overestimate their abilities when they attempted something dangerous.

"You're still late Kakashi," said Sakura noticing their sensei as Naruto and Sasuke continued their brawl.

"I imagine there are some things that we shouldn't change, and this is one of them," said Kakashi cheekily.

"I take it though you weren't standing at the memorial stone," said Sakura looking over in the direction where the monument lay.

"I was there for a little while, if only to look towards what must be accomplished," said Kakashi. "Then like Sasuke and Naruto I decided to put my spare time to good use, you three aren't the only ones determined to become stronger."

"So does this mean you're going to resume your competition with Gai?" asked Sakura knowing that the Green Beast of Konoha would be glad to have a sparring buddy in Kakashi.

"Let's not push it too far," said Kakashi. "Like you guys I need to recall my limits as of the moment and work out the smoothest way to surpass them at the optimal rate. I can't help you guys if I find myself unconscious due to chakra exhaustion."

"So you're working on building your reserves," analyzed Sakura. "Along with that I imagine even you are going back to the absolute basics of chakra control in order to ensure that your reserves aren't depleted as quickly as before."

"I doubt I'll be able to match you in terms of control," said Kakashi as he scratched at the back of his neck. "However if I'm able to increase my reserves and reduce my output by, let's say five percent in the next month while ensuring the three of you are pressing forward it would increase my recovery time to a couple of days as opposed to a couple weeks after the bout with Zabuza, provided the result remains the same of course."

"That's a lot to take in," said Sakura.

"Every action has a consequence," said Kakashi as he turned his attention skywards. "We already know how our actions affect the world once over and it was a failure. We are causing a Butterfly Effect with every passing moment that we are doing something differently and we will have to ride it out as best we can to the best of our abilities."

"Well said Kakashi sensei," said Naruto, the duel between he and Sasuke having come to a close as sweat poured from their brows, showing that they hadn't been holding anything back over the course of their competition. "So when we take those bells from you what do you think will change in the future?"

Kakashi looked at the bells in question, the proof that Team Seven would easily pass what he had planned for them considering what they were capable of. Lifting up the bells, a quick flick to the side sent the bells soaring into the nearby forest.

"Somehow I don't think the bells will be necessary," said Kakashi as he braced himself for what was to come. "Now, come at me with the intention to kill..."

"Yea, yea, we've heard it all before," said Naruto as he and the other members of Team Seven took a large leap backwards to gain some distance between them and their target.

"Well in that case, begin!"

"I'm glad you could make it Iruka," said the Hokage as he invited the teacher to sit opposite him.

"Is there a reason you summoned me Hokage?" asked Iruka.

"I wanted to know, are you aware that there is only a one in three chance that a team will be accepted by their Jonin supervisor?" asked Sarutobi, his fingers laced beneath his chin.

"I recall that it we had a lot better chance when I was a Genin but those were different times I guess," said Iruka rubbing at the back of his head.

"Considering you were their teacher over the past few years, which teams do you believe will be successful in becoming fully fledged Genin?" asked Sarutobi, honestly wanting to know what the teacher thought his former students chances were.

"Hmm..." mused Iruka as he cupped his chin in his hand. "I don't know why, but I feel like Team Seven has the best chance."

"Team Seven?"

"I know it seems odd, but the way they reacted yesterday just made me feel as if they were more than ready," answered Iruka. "I'm not sure if it's intuition or just a gut feeling, but Team Seven will still remain Genin by the end of the day."

"I wouldn't be so sure," said Sarutobi as he retrieved his crystal ball and placed it on the desktop. "Hatake Kakashi is ruthless and has never passed a single team."

"What!"

"So, should we see how Team Seven is doing?" suggested Sarutobi as he gestured towards the crystal ball. Iruka, loosening his clenched fist, gazed at the object in question before silently nodding towards the leader of the village. It didn't take long before the image materialized to where the Hokage knew Kakashi would be undertaking his test.

Needless to say though the visuals he saw were nothing which he had expected, especially considering the Jonin didn't have a well known book in his hand.

"What the..." said Iruka in disbelief at what he was seeing. Surprisingly the Hokage had a similar expression on his face unable to comprehend what was going on.

Team Seven, by all accounts, was working as a team.

They watched, bewildered by all means, as Sakura unleashed a flurry of kunai and shuriken which forced the former ANBU captain to flip out of the way, catching the kunai as he did so and hence using them to deflect the next wave. He then tossed the kunai from his hands to the side, forcing both Sasuke and Naruto who were coming into close range combat to avoid. Or so it seemed until Naruto was struck square in the chest with the kunai before exploding in a puff of smoke to reveal it was nothing but a shadow clone. Kakashi was allowed no time to perceive where the real Naruto was as he had to block a kick aimed at his head by the young Uchiha who wasted no time in following up his assault.

Whilst defending from Sasuke's assault, Kakashi was only able to react by instinct and dodge as a flying kick tried to strike out at him from his blind spot, the real Naruto having tried to use Sasuke's attack to his advantage. The display that had been going on only lasted the better part of fifteen seconds yet to the perspective of both Iruka and Sarutobi it almost seemed as if Team Seven had the advantage against their elder, as preposterous as that sounded. Ludicrous even.

"Iruka...what did you teach the next generation?" asked Sarutobi.

"Nothing of this level," said Iruka as Team Seven paused to contemplate their next attack against their Jonin sensei. Yet they seemed to have predicted their last attack would be rendered ineffective and were merely using that as an attempt to figure out their abilities.

"Their teamwork is something you only see in groups that have spent an incredible amount of time together," summarized Sarutobi as Team Seven unleashed their next assault. "They each know their roles in this situation and are continuing to push Kakashi back, a former ANBU captain back."

"That's unbelievable," said Iruka.

"That's impossible," said Sarutobi. "Kakashi was a prodigy and had become a Jonin at a rate that nobody could have predicted. He is a survivor of the last war and was ANBU captain for a number of years."

"Could the three of them planned their attack while waiting for him yesterday, what they were writing on the blackboard?" said Iruka trying to come up with a logical situation.

"Planning an attack is one thing, executing it is another," said Sarutobi. "This isn't something which can be done with theory alone and would take weeks to plan out and practice like clockwork. Even now, Sasuke is using his strikes in order to drive Kakashi into the area where he wants him to be in."

"But he's getting pushed back?"

"He is allowing himself to be on the back foot," said Sarutobi before he made the vision vanish from sight and focused his attention on the teacher in front of him. "Iruka, I wish for you not to make mention of this to anybody else, I can't tell what is going on at the moment and I don't wish for public knowledge to come through that we may be looking at a team comprised of prodigies."

"But Naruto was the bottom of the class..."

"Did that look like how the bottom of the class would react in a fight with someone easily capable of killing them," declared Sarutobi. "I highly suggest that you keep this just between us and we'll monitor their levels through the missions they will undertake as of tomorrow."

"You mean we're just going to leave them to their own devices?"

"I will get Kakashi to give me a thorough report on their abilities when he comes in to declare that his team was successful and will remain as Genin," said Sarutobi. "Other than that I fear we have no other choice but to wait and observe."

Team Ten walked down the street in high spirits, having successfully completed the task set out for them by Asuma. As of today they were successfully Genin of the Leaf and needed to celebrate. They had already run across the members of Team Eight and Chouji had had the brilliant idea for them to meet up for dinner later. Thus the time and place had been set.

Now they just needed to invite Team Seven, Ino believing that no matter what challenge had been set out for them by their Jonin sensei Sasuke would be able to pull them through without fail and would be made a Genin. Considering that Sasuke had Naruto on his team she believed that they would have struggled but there was no way that Sasuke would fail.

"There they are," said Chouji noticing their former classmates walking up the street towards them. "Is it just me or does it look like..."

"Oh my gosh," proclaimed Ino as she rushed towards the members of Team Seven who stopped as they noticed her coming towards them, Chouji and Shikamaru coming up behind her. The blonde haired kunoichi screeched to a stop in front of them and her mouth widened in shock. "What happened?"

"What do you mean?" asked Naruto unsure what Ino was getting at.

"Look at yourselves," Ino practically screamed.

"Oh, you mean that, na it's nothing," said Naruto brushing it off.

"How could you call that nothing?" Ino yelled in hysterics. The reason she was getting hysterical was the fact that all members of Team Seven looked as if they had come from a warzone, dried blood painting their faces and clothes while very distinguished bruises and lacerations adorned their arms and legs. The attire that Sakura had been wearing was both shredded and burnt and Naruto was sporting a black eye.

"Were you guys set upon by bears or something?" asked Chouji surprisingly not lifting a potato chip to his mouth.

"Don't be ridiculous," said Sasuke as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yea, Kakashi sensei just had to make sure we were up to his standard," said Naruto as he rubbed at the back of his head.

"His standards look ridiculous," commented Shikamaru.

"Tell me about it," said Sakura knowing that this conversation didn't happen once before. They had encountered each other down the street like last time but they had just been invited to dinner and nothing else. The thing which happened next definitely didn't happen.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up," said Ino as she latched onto Sakura's hand and began dragging her down the street. Sakura looked over her shoulder at her teammates as they got further and further away and couldn't help but wonder if they'd already sent things spiraling down a path they wouldn't be able to foretell.

Hope you enjoyed 


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

 **…**

Sakura couldn't help but fidget nervously, her knees rubbing against one another anxiously as she sat within the confinements of her friend's room. Said friend was not too happy about the constant movement as she tried to apply cream to the wounds that Sakura had sustained in training. "Stay still will you," complained Ino. "I can't apply this cream if you keep making the spot harder to hit."

"Sorry," Sakura meekly apologized as she focused herself and looked at her blonde haired friend who was determined to make sure that Sakura didn't leave the house without thorough care first and foremost.

"So what the hell did you guys have to do in order to invoke such psychotic rage from your sensei?" asked Ino as she used her finger to scoop another dollop of cream from the container. "I mean, what did Naruto do to piss them off."

Sakura mused on this for a moment as she wondered what was best to tell Ino. Sure she could tell her the truth in that their sensei had been ruthless as he attacked them head on, forcing them to focus on defending themselves while constructing a plan to make some effort of a counterattack, none of which were very successful. This could then be followed on by Sakura informing her that once they had been pushed past their limit they had had to dodge fireballs the size of boulders while tied together with large pieces of rope, and how that had then escalated to a drill that could only have been created by somebody as crazy as Gai.

"It was the bell test," she stated, recalling that that had been the original test that Kakashi had put them through. Strangely enough it felt as if the difficulty actually hadn't changed at all this time round. Best not tell her friend that her life was being threatened every moment they were 'training' just yet.

"What did that entice?" asked Ino not having had the same test done to her team by Asuma. Thus Sakura sat there with her friend and broke down the entirety of the test that they had conducted when they had first become a team, vividly recalling how they had been no match for Kakashi who had been treating them like children the entire time. Ino became shocked when Sakura informed her of the fact that Naruto knew such an advanced technique as the Shadow Clone but Sakura merely laughed it off as Naruto being Naruto. The thing was though it wasn't a forced or fake laugh, it was truly genuine.

She was enjoying this time with Ino, sitting here in her bedroom and chatting away as if they were school children (although the topic was likely a lot darker than what schoolkids could concoct). She couldn't remember the last time they had just simply sat and socialized, perhaps it had been the first year when she had started training with Tsunade. However as her lessons increased and Ino made her way to Chunin, the time they got to catch up began to dwindle to the point where it was common for them to only catch up when they caught sight of each other on the street. Of course there were the group catch ups but they were never the same. Friends and rivals, soon became nothing more than mere acquaintances. The worse feeling though was that if everything came to fruition and they were unable to save the world, Sakura was truly aware that something like this would never happen again.

"Hey, hey, what's the matter?" asked Ino, alerting Sakura to the fact that her reminiscing had caused a single tear to roll down her cheek.

"Nothing, nothing," said Sakura as she rubbed her face with the back of her hand, smudging the cream that Ino had applied earlier. What she didn't expect was for Ino to lunge forward and embrace her in a hug, completely taking the pink haired Genin off guard.

"Sakura if you ever need to tell me something, I'll be here for you," said Ino honestly, cherishing the friendship that the two of them shared.

"Thank you," said Sakura as she returned the hug.

"If I think you're keeping something from me though know that I will probe your brain," said Ino jokingly, Sakura glad that Ino couldn't see her face at the time. The look of pure horror that flashed momentarily was justified considering that Sakura knew that if her friend searched a little too deep she would find something she wouldn't believe.

…

Naruto looked at the pitiful state of his apartment before rubbing his face in his hands. After the meeting with the rest of his team yesterday he had taken to a training field in order to work on getting the basics down pat once again. Hours of repetition however had left him physically exhausted and he had sought the beautiful comfort of bed without paying attention to the mess that he lived in. Now though he sought to rectify that problem.

Fumbling around through his pantry, he successfully located his broom but noticed a much larger problem. The problem being the baroness of everything other than cup ramen. While this wasn't so much a bad thing as it looked as if he wouldn't have to go to the supermarket for a couple of weeks he recalled some of his lessons with Jiraiya while they were on their training trip. While the broth of the gods was satisfactory it didn't really do much in the health department and it was only due to Kuruma being inside of him was he really able to maintain his standard of living.

Now was the hard part he had to work out considering the time travel aspect his life had been forced into. Did he change his diet (not reducing ramen completely, such an idea was preposterous!) and add more meat and vegetables to the table or did he just eat what he had done in the past…the present…what he would do in the future?

"Why is this so hard!"

…

Sasuke sat within the confines of the Uchiha compound as he gazed at the night sky, fully aware that the other members of Team Seven along with the other successful Genin were likely having dinner right about now. He hadn't gone first time around and this time wouldn't be any different. At that time though he had merely sat and thought about how he was that one step closer to killing Itachi and gaining revenge for his family. Now though that he knew that Itachi was the hero all along, did he still have it in him to kill him?

Arguably if there was one bit that he could change the entire structure of the war that was to come it was the life of Itachi, the eldest of the brothers could be instrumental in the defeat of Madara. It was risky and Obito had made mention that Itachi had been going blind, but was there a way to cure that other than handing his elder brother his eyes? Tsunade was hailed as a miracle worker after all…

Shaking his head from side to side, Sasuke threw this notion to the wind. While saving his brother was something he wanted to do more than anything, what would directly change as a result of? If Itachi proved that he was a traitor to Akatsuki would he become a target of the organization due to his strength?

"Deep in thought?" asked a familiar voice alerting Sasuke to the fact he wasn't alone.

"Shouldn't you be at dinner?" asked Sasuke as Naruto took a seat next to him.

"I sent a shadow clone," said Naruto offhandedly, knowing full well that the clone could do what he wished it to do for the evening without much trouble. "I guess you can figure out why I've come though right?"

Sasuke was silent, knowing exactly what it was that Naruto was referring to. He had made his declaration to the Sage of Six Paths what his goal was. Sasuke and Naruto both knew that they were on a collision course they couldn't avoid, a battle that would take place over and over again until one of them perished. Time after time they would become stronger, their duels becoming more and more destructive with every passing collision. It was a terrible fate to be trapped in.

"Do you think there's a way to stop all this?" asked Naruto.

"No," declared Sasuke, not bothering to even wait a second to contemplate his answer. Had everything gone smoothly in the fight against Madara then they would have battled shortly afterwards, putting everything on the line as they chased the Hokage seat. Naruto would be praised in loved in the position of power while Sasuke would have been feared and hated, yet both would have unified the world and achieved their goal.

"Heh, you're probably right," said Naruto as he put his hands behind his head and turned his attention skywards. That's how they remained, for minutes on end, neither of them saying a word as they took this time to let it all sink in, how destiny was unavoidable. Or was it?

Arguably, to Sasuke Naruto was the closest thing to what one would call a friend. During their time under Kakashi they had fought together and pushed themselves to the limit whilst training. Hell, had it not been for the combination between them the first time they met Zabuza chances were that they all would have been killed by the missing nin.

While that had been the first time they had worked together it also had been only one of few before Orochimaru had sunk his fangs into Sasuke and he had eventually turned traitor of the Leaf. Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto had spent a good hour discussing the Forest of Death, knowing that this was one of those few moments that could shake the very timeline that they knew. Orochimaru would use that chance again to mark Sasuke and given time, Sasuke would seek Orochimaru for power.

The chances of survival though were only ten percent and just because he had survived it once didn't mean he would survive it again. The extra training they intended on doing would strengthen and reshape his chakra coils and as a result he would have to take the gamble if he intended on taking the bite from the snake. Sakura had raised the question as to whether or not Sasuke needed to betray Konoha and spend several years under the tuition of the Sannin. There was the very simple option of not entering the Chunin exams and in turn avoiding the Forest of Death altogether.

Naruto had been the one to dismiss this idea completely, knowing that without them in the competition there was a real chance that either Team Eight or Tem Ten could encounter Gaara. Needless to say this had been a real turning point in the conversation and they had decided that they would risk the exams and head straight into the firing line that was waiting for them.

"So what now?" asked Naruto.

"You could get off my property," suggested Sasuke.

"Nah, how about a bit more training, we haven't even tried tree climbing yet," said Naruto as he looked towards two towering trees in front of them.

Sasuke remained silent for a few seconds before succumbing to Naruto's suggestion. "Training it is."

…

Team Seven stood in front of the Hokage for their first mission as a team, each of them knowing exactly what it was that they would be doing and doing again and again over the coming couple of weeks before they set out for Wave. When handed the mission to track down the devil known as Tora, Naruto kicked up a fuss and argued as he had originally while Sasuke simply looked as if such a task was beneath him. Kakashi then broke down to them that this was a necessary step as he took the message scroll from the Hokage.

Of course to the Hokage, everything seemed as normal as what it could be but the leader of the village had no way of knowing that he was looking at little more than shadow clones constructed by Naruto and using a henge. Kakashi too had sent a shadow clone to fool the Hokage as he didn't know whether or not Naruto would be able to impersonate him properly.

The real Team Seven were currently somewhere where few people dared to tread doing a survival training that truly bought the meaning to the term survival. Especially in a place commonly referred to as the Forest of Death.

…

 **Hope you enjoyed**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

 **...**

"Hey Naruto, are you ever going to talk to Hinata?" asked Sakura as she blocked the fist that had been careening for her head with her forearm before striking out with her left foot only for Naruto to leap over it with little difficulty.

"What would I talk to her about?" asked Naruto in response as he regained his balance, making sure that the chakra being directed to his feet hadn't shifted. Days had passed since they had been given their first mission from the Hokage with Naruto relaying information back to them on how their mission within a mission had gone well whenever his clones vanished from existence. He would then send out more clones in the morning to reenact the day while they remained within the forest working on various techniques that they hadn't originally learned until much later on.

"Oh I don't know, perhaps the whole how she has been in love with you since the day she laid eyes on you thing, a nice little way to break the ice," said Sakura sarcastically as she altered the chakra in her feet so that she dropped a foot into the lake they were currently fighting on top of in order to dodge the punch aimed at her head. Readjusting the chakra forced her to spring upwards with a haymaker aimed directly at Naruto's chin who merely leant back by a couple of inches to dodge the blow. Reaching outwards, he grabbed onto Sakura's arm and threw her over his shoulder. Sakura skidded across the water's surface but nonetheless ended on her feet no worse for wear after the exchange.

"Yes, because it's entirely possible for me to walk up to the Hyuga compound and ask if their heir is around for a cup of tea," said Naruto. "Remember, people in this timeline don't accept me for who I am and still see me as Kuruma."

"Doesn't mean you can't give it a shot," said Sakura as she charged forward.

"What about the whole not changing the timeline thing?" said Naruto in response as he summoned two clones to his side, both of them charging towards the pink haired kunoichi.

"Boosting Hinata's confidence is probably one of those things we discussed which would be beneficial," said Sakura as she disposed of each clone with relative ease before kicking at Naruto in such a way that the boy was forced to block the attack. While the blow may not have had the brute strength which made Sakura such a formidable foe in the future it was clear that she still remembered those lessons from Tsunade. "Heck she she even stood up to Pain that one time so surely that's a good enough reason you'd want to boost her strength and the first step..."

"True," said Naruto as he drove his knee into Sakura's abdomen, one of the few clean strikes that either combatant had been able to land and succeeding in cutting her off mid thought. He followed up by tossing the prone girl towards the riverbed where she bounced off the water while struggling to get her breath back.

"Well done you two," congratulated Kakashi as he stepped onto the water and laid a hand on Sakura's shoulder to prevent her from charging at Naruto once again.

"We can still keep going," said Naruto knowing that he had yet to push himself too hard.

"Perhaps but there is no point in burning ourselves out just yet," said Kakashi as Sakura got to her feet. "We're but one week into a three year plan and already the three of you are making more progress than we had as a unit."

"Whose fault is that I wonder?" said Sakura as she glared daggers at the silver haired Jonin.

"Now, now nobody's to blame," said Kakashi. "My point though still stands. We've all learned how to fight in our old bodies once more and even use techniques that we didn't even start learning months prior to this moment. To prove my point, will you go punch that tree Sakura."

Looking over her shoulder at the tree in question, Sakura made her way towards it. The branches looked as thick as her forearm and the base was roughly three feet in diametre. Needless to say but this tree had stood in place for a very long time.

Pulling back, Sakura recalled the training she had not yet received before striking with all the strength she could muster. Years from now the tree would have been obliterated and uprooted without knowing what had hit it. It had still taken some damage, Sakura's knuckles having shattered the outside layer of bark while her knuckles had lightly buried themselves within the tree.

"And right there is my proof," said Kakashi as Sakura looked over her fist before moving back towards the Jonin and her teammate. "At the moment the most I can give is how to teach Sasuke to the point where he fought Gaara at the Chunin Exams. After that I'm unsure what he learned so he will go over that himself. You two meanwhile took tutelage under two of the Sannin and I became even less involved with your training. I have little knowledge on what the two of you were taught specific all and it's not like we can track down the Sannin and ask them to help your training. Arguably I'm sorry that I can't help out more in the two of you relearning what you know. I can however help you build in other areas so that the two of you are prepared both mentally and physically for what is to come, to the best of my ability at least."

"It's all good," said Naruto with his hands behind his head. "We know that you did what you could as a teacher and that it wasn't your strong point. We survived in the end so clearly you taught us enough."

"I guess that's kind of a morale booster," said Kakashi. "Anyways I want the two of you to head back to town and relax the next couple of days. We'll actually be partaking in the missions we did before over the next couple of days before we go off to Wave. Considering how we were before to how we were now there should be no problems with us getting through this. We're taking this break as a necessity so that we don't burn out and leave ourselves vulnerable. Once we have returned we will continue our training."

"That's all well and good but have you told Sasuke to slow down?" asked Naruto knowing that the Uchiha was unlikely to be willing to prevent himself from getting stronger.

"I believe he'll be willing to take the next couple days pretty slow," said Kakashi confidently.

...

"YOSH young Uchiha, let us run three more laps around Konoha together with the power of Youth!"

...

"He'll be fine," assured Kakashi.

"Sure he will," said Sakura less than impressed that Kakashi was handballing his student off to Gai for training.

"It took me a month to get Sasuke ready from where he was to be able to compete against Gaara for the Chunin exams," said Kakashi. "With a little leverage from Gai he should be able to halve that time."

"You mean for Wave he's going to be wearing ankle weights," said Naruto.

"Possibly, I just told Gai that Sasuke was lacking youth," said Kakashi as he scratched at his mask.

Immediately both Naruto and Sakura felt sorry for whatever Sasuke was being subjected to.

"So I'll see the two of you tomorrow morning at the Hokage tower so that we can go on our mission painting fences if my memory serves me correct," said Kakashi.

"So have an early training session, nothing too strenuous, before meeting you at the base of the Hokage tower by midday," summed up Sakura, knowing that for appearances sake Kakashi dare not turn up early.

"Well when you put it like that..."

"Don't worry Kakashi-sensei, we won't push ourselves too hard," said Naruto knowing that the Jonin did have a point. As Sakura has put it there was no reason to go too hard with training and just do the simple stuff. Naruto would likely just work more on chakra control considering how much he had of it to go around. Plus anything he used would be replenished in the morning so there was no harm doing the simple exercises as opposed to something flashy.

"Very well then, I trust your judgement," said Kakashi before exploding in a cloud of smoke revealing that he had been nothing more than a Shadow Clone.

"So even Kakashi's out there training," said Sakura knowing that that was the only logical reason he would have sent a clone instead of coming here himself.

"Or writing out the latest Icha Icha and publishing it before Jiraiya does," joked Naruto causing Sakura to laugh.

"Well he would have it memorized wouldn't he," stated Sakura as she calmed down from the sudden burst of laughter. "So what are you going to do tonight then?"

"Why Sakura-chan, if I didn't know better I'd say that line leads onto asking one out on a date," teased Naruto before ducking to avoid a chakra enhanced punch.

"Not likely," said Sakura as she pulled back her fist. "First preference would be to see if Ino is doing anything tonight, considering the original timeline we should have caught up a couple of days ago to go watch a movie so I figure now's the time to do it."

"Seems legit," said Naruto.

"So then the question remains, what are you going to do?" asked Sakura once again.

"I guess I'll go to Ichiraku's for some ramen, considering I used to go there almost daily they'd think I'd gone missing by now," said Naruto.

"Well then take Hinata with you," said Sakura.

"Really?"

"Yes really," said Sakura stamping her foot down as if to claim her authority in the situation. "You know that Hinata becomes strong in the future, so help her achieve it by doing something simple with her. Ever since we started the academy she would always look at you from the corner of the classroom."

"How did you..."

"Just because I was always chasing after Sasuke doesn't mean that I was blind," said Sakura. "You were there when Neji was pierced through the chest remember, protecting Hinata who in turn was protecting you. Now if Hinata was had just that little bit more confidence now, who knows what it could snowball into and perhaps Neji will be there in the end to help us win this."

Naruto remained silent and Sakura allowed him a few moments to process everything. She too was aware that this could have unexpected results but that didn't mean that it wasn't worth the risk. They had made the agreement as a group and Sakura knew that Naruto would be cautious about doing anything on his own. As seconds ticked by though Sakura couldn't help but wonder if the teenage boy was asking someone much older than himself for some advice on the situation.

"Alright," said Naruto finally. "One date tonight, no idea how I'm going to act like my old self but I'll give it my best shot."

"On that note, if you see Ino and I down the street, please don't draw attention to yourself because I seriously doubt I can prevent Ino from wanting to stalk the two of you out on a date," warned Sakura.

"Fair point."

...

Standing in front of the Hyuga compound that evening, Naruto tried to ignore the glares he could literally feel being aimed at him from the civilians behind him. Thankfully he was receiving no killing intent from the Hyuga guards that were standing at the front of the gate. Thinking back he couldn't remember having received any ill will from members of the Hyuga family, although that wasn't to say that they wished upon him some manner of harm. They were a highly regarded family so it was understandable that they act the part, especially where he was concerned.

Swallowing a lump that he hadn't realized had formed in his throat, Naruto pushed forward knowing that he was likely breaking all the rules of time travel (provided there were rules in the first place). He merely hoped that what he was doing was worth whatever repercussions were created.

He also prayed that he survived his first encounter with Hinata's father.

...

 **Hope you enjoyed**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

...

Uncomfortable was not a sensation Naruto was familiar with. Even within the coming years he couldn't come across many instances where he didn't know how to act or what to say. Considering this was an entirely new experience however he could safely say that his past self would have been even more terrified than he currently was by what was going on at this moment in time.

The guards at the front of the compound had become suspicious of Naruto's activity, or the lack thereof. It had only been when they pointed it out that Naruto realised that he had remained rooted to the spot for the better part of five minutes. Considering that he was reenacting the days in where keeping still for a handful of moments was a struggle, it was understandable that they would be worried.

Just like that he had been frogmarched to Hiashi Hyuga's office, directly to where Hinata's father had been seated. Upon wondering why Naruto had been brought before him the guards answered that they had brought Naruto in on the grounds they believed he was plotting something. Trying to revert his mind back several years to a month ago, Naruto had questioned whether or not he had ever been stupid enough to even contemplate pranking the Hyuga clan.

Upon dismissing the guards, Hiashi had asked Naruto to sit which he had done so without hesitation. Naruto had never been inside the Hyuga compound before let alone the Head of the clan's office so he had little practice in the mannerisms he should show in the situation. For now though he had merely adopted the old faithful 'wait and see' approach. He had never met the man in the future so he had no real idea how the head of such a prestigious clan would act.

The door to the office opened and a female of the branch house walked in with a tray containing a teapot and two cups on it, surprising Naruto somewhat as he hadn't seen Hiashi gesture to anybody that either he or his guest requested any tea. As the woman left without a word, Hiashi motioned for Naruto to partake in the drink in front of him. A puzzled expression briefly crossed his features as he wondered whether the him from now would accept the tea if he didn't have the mind from the future.

These thoughts only made him hate past, present and future tense even more.

"Does something trouble you," stated Hiashi as he poured himself some tea, filling up Naruto's cup as he did so.

"I've got a lot on my mind," said Naruto in response as he picked up the teacup and waited for Hiashi to pick up his own. Without a word, the two of them lifted up their respective cups as a sign of good faith before each taking a small sip.

"I was unaware that you were accustomed to such mannerisms," said Hiashi having been quite observant of Naruto's actions. While Naruto hadn't actually told anyone of this before, he had partaken in a handful of tea ceremonies during his travels with Jiraiya. During the first time he had attempted the ritualistic event he had made such a fool of himself that one of the women there had giggled about it profusely before escorting him out back and breaking down the ceremony step by step. He had only had the chance to use the skills a handful of times but he had memorised every step as well as he could so that he wouldn't make a mockery of himself again. Sadly the one time he used it only seemed to get him into other types of hot water. "Tell me, have you partaken in a proper tea ceremony before?"

While Naruto would have loved to state that he had done so a year and a half in the future, he thought the better of it in the end. "I don't believe so," he said not trying to sound too intelligent. "I think I read about them once in a magazine."

"If that is the case then it would seem that you have unexpected manners," declared Hiashi with a raised eyebrow. "Perhaps if your behaviour remains as it is through the duration of your stay you will find yourself invited to a ceremony so that you may try for yourself."

Whether or not Hiashi merely wanted Naruto to come so that he would make a fool of himself or if he was genuinely asking him was hard to tell. "Your honour me," said Naruto hoping that this was what his past self would say in this situation. If it weren't towards the head of the Hyuga clan he likely would have said something along the lines of 'awesome' but he knew that would not be appropriate.

"Now tell me, why have you come to my household?" asked Hiashi before taking another sip of tea. Naruto mirrored the action if only to give himself a couple more seconds to think out a believable story.

"Would you believe me if I said that I was here to visit Hinata?" said Naruto.

"If that is indeed the case I regret to inform you that my eldest daughter is currently away from the premise," stated Hiashi. "Considering the hour, I believe that she will be returning soon though. If your visit is not designed to be harmful to my daughter's wellbeing then you are more than welcome to stay. Provided of course you pass a simple challenge."

"Challenge?"

"Yes, you have shown me grace which I deem uncharacteristic for one that defaced the Hokage monument not a month prior," said Hiashi causing Naruto to sheepishly rub at the back of his head wondering what to say in the situation. "I also am aware that you were the lowest scoring student to be graduated from the academy this year. If your mannerisms have improved thus far I wish to see whether your skill has advanced as well. My youngest daughter will be your opponent and if you are to prove unsuccessful against her then when my eldest returns, you will not be on the premise."

Naruto could tell straightaway that he was being baited. Recalling memories that seemed a lifetime ago, he knew that Hinata had never beaten her younger sister by this stage with the younger Hyuga being a prodigy much like their cousin. The elder Hyuga had just reitified the fact that Naruto had been the dead last in the class and in most circumstances a couple of weeks outside of the classroom would bring minimal results.

Naruto of course, whether his past self or his present self, would never refuse a challenge.

"My youngest should be completing her routines for the day, please brace yourself and do not hold back," declared Hiashi as he stood up from his desk, Naruto quickly following suit. The Uzumaki said nothing as he followed Hiashi through the corridors. Slowly a twisted thought crept into his mind that this wasn't a test for him as much as it was for Hinata.

If he were to defeat Hanabi, theoretically then it would state that he would be able to defeat Hinata as well considering that the elder sister had never defeated the younger. If the improvements that Hiashi expected of him were indeed true, would that then only force more pressure on Hinata? Was this a damned if he did damned if her don't moment?

He missed being innocent.

Arriving at the centre of the compound, Naruto took a quick moment to gauge the arena in which he would be competing. All around him was a second tier balcony and a number of the Hyuga family were watching Hanabi's training exercise as she gracefully plowed through her opponent of the day. Somehow he got a mild sense of dejavu out of the whole scenario and since the moment he was recalling hadn't technically happened as of yet it felt even stranger.

As Hiashi focused on informing Hanabi on the task he had assigned her, Naruto drowned out the noise to focus on the young girl himself. He had never actually met her in the future timeline other than in passing so he had no real idea what her personality was like. During the last few seconds of her spar he could tell that she had been focused on the task at hand but if this was due to the enormous pressure placed upon her or if she always fought like that it was hard to tell.

"Are you ready?" asked Hiashi snapping Naruto back into reality, the blond merely nodding in response as he prepared himself. As he stepped out onto the floor, he ignored the hushed whispers he could pick up and merely pondered on how he should go about this fight. Settling into his stance, he wondered if the girl in front of him had a superiority complex much like her elder cousin. Silently he hoped that that wasn't the case.

"Begin!" announced Hiashi causing Hanabi to pounce forward. As Naruto pushed the first strike to the side he couldn't help but be surprised by both the. speed and controlled ferocity that Hanabi struck at him with. Avoiding the follow up, Naruto figured that Hanabi had something to prove to her father and was likely trying to end this quickly to prove a point.

Hanabi, despite her age, rarely lost her composure during a spar. This wasn't because she was treated differently but like her cousin before her it would seem as if she was blessed with natural talent. This however made her frustrated that her opponent didn't even seem to have his mind on the match as he easily blocked and parried everything she threw at him without even giving her a chance to close a tenketsu.

This, in and of itself, was infuriating.

In a typical blink and you'll miss it moment, Hanabi had gone from being on the assault to having a fist literally a centimeter from her nose with the young Hyuga unable to comprehend how the strike had gotten past her guard. "Keep your focus," said Naruto, somewhat hypocritically as only within the past couple of seconds had he actually seemed to try.

Hanabi, in a wise yet shocking display, leapt backwards a couple feet in order to regain her composure and contemplate her next move. While Naruto could have given chase, he merely stood there and decided to pick some gunk out of his ear.

Any composure that Hanabi had been trying to get a hold of was shattered.

"Enough!" shouted Hiashi forcing Hanabi to stop her charge in midstep causing her to become unbalanced. Instead of her face colliding with the mats beneath her, she was caught within Naruto's grasp ensuring that she didn't sustain any unnecessary damage.

"You alright?" asked the Genin causing Hanabi to bite at the inside of her lip in annoyance as she broke from the blond's grip with a huff of annoyance. 'I'll take that as a yes."

"I have seen what I have needed to see," declared Hiashi. "You are more than welcome to remain here whilst waiting for my eldest."

"Are you going somewhere father?" asked Hanabi as she noticed her dad turning to leave.

"There is something I must now see to," said Hiashi. "I expect that this may take up most of my evening and if this is the case I shall see you tomorrow."

Having said his farewell, Naruto and Hanabi watched as the family head left the premise before the younger of the two turned her gaze on Naruto. "Why?" she asked.

Naruto, who had been pondering where Hiashi had been heading off to, didn't understand the question. "Why what?"

"Why did you not take me seriously?" asked Hanabi wanting an answer.

"Because serious fights have serious consequences," answered Naruto. "What we just had was a bit of friendly competition."

"How can a fight be friendly?" asked Hanabi not really having understood Naruto's answer.

"Were you trying to kill me?"

"Of course not!"

"But were you serious?"

"I was."

"So what would have happened if I had gotten serious?"

Hanabi bit at the inside of her lip at that question. While the bout had barely lasted thirty seconds, she had been on the offensive almost the entire time. Had Naruto's strike had extended just that little bit further chances were her nose would have been shattered.

Naruto for his part remained relatively calm as the hushed whispers increased around them now that Hiashi had left. Glancing to the left he saw two women who momentarily made eye contact before turning away as if they'd been struck by lightning. It would be years however before they saw him as the hero who defeated Pain and Naruto knew there wasn't much he could do in the meanwhile.

"Naruto-kun," came the ever familiar cry of Hinata, the Genin having returned. Naruto, turning towards the kunoichi, politely waved. This had unexpected results as Hinata's eyes rolled into the back of her head as she passed out, collapsing to the floor as she did so.

Naruto couldn't help but think that his progress in building Hinata's confidence was off to a less than optimal start.

...

The sun hung low in the sky as Kakashi made his way up the stairs leading towards the Hokage's office. One of the Sandaime's personal ANBU had tracked him down and requested his presence post haste. The silver haired Jonin didn't know what he could have been summoned for but knew it would be unlike him were he to arrive when he had been asked to. Considering it had sounded urgent, he had gauged twenty minutes as the appropriate time to be late.

Pausing momentarily outside of the door, Kakashi braced himself for whatever could be coming his way. This certainly hadn't happened the first time round so something had already altered the timeline somewhat. He doubted it was anything catastrophic cause surely nothing that drastic had happened.

He hoped.

Pushing open the door, Kakashi quickly went to make a typical apology but caught himself short as he noticed that it wasn't just the Sandaime within the office. "Hokage, Lord Hyuga," said Kakashi as he closed the door behind him.

"It would seem as if your student didn't pick up his manners from you," declared Hiashi causing Kakashi's visible eye to squint mildly wondering what one of his Genin had done. He couldn't imagine Sasuke was the one at fault though he had to consider he had left the Uchiha with Gai and to an extent Gai's squad which did consist of Neji, Hiashi's nephew.

"I try not to be too much of an influence on my students," said Kakashi wondering just what was going on here.

"If that is the case, we'd like a brief report on your student's progress," said Sarutobi from behind his desk, his fingers laced in front of him. Outside of D clone memories, Kakashi hadn't yet seen the Hokage in person. He could recall the day in the near future where the Sandaime would perish at the hands of Orochimaru during the Chunin Exams. That had indeed been one of the events which he and his team had discussed in length, whether or not to allow the village ruler to live on if they could help it. Naruto had been the one to break down the fact that if Sarutobi didn't die then there would be no reason for him and Jiraiya to track down Tsunade. That right there would alter everything that they knew would happen, which was something none of them wanted to risk.

"Have there been complaints about the missions we have done?" asked Kakashi.

"Uzumaki Naruto defeated my youngest daughter today," stated Hiashi wanting to get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible. "For her age, her skill is much greater than many of the Genin who graduated this year if my eldest is to be any indication. I would like to know then how in a matter of weeks, a member of your squad has improved to this point."

Kakashi remained silent for a couple of seconds as he took in all the information he had just been given. First and foremostly, Naruto was at the Hyuga compound for some unknown reason but Kakashi was confident that the Uzumaki had no intention of distorting the timeline out of their favor. Now though he had to explain how he managed to change somebody with minimal skill into one of the strongest the generation had to offer.

"I do recall," said Sarutobi before Kakashi had a chance to answer, "that your team was indeed the first that you have ever passed. From what all the reports I have received however, after every mission in which you and your team participate in you simply vanish. There have been no statements regarding any of your students to be located on a training field or bonding as the other fresh Genin teams do. Surely you don't simply neglect your team and allow them only to train by themselves."

Kakashi was happy that his mask was up so that he wasn't showing that he was biting the inside of his lip as he tried to construct something believable. Swallowing a lump that had formed in his throat, Kakashi spoke. "I have been having our team train outside of normal areas," he declared. "This is centrally due to the fact that Naruto has been sabotaged throughout his schooling career where it would seem that some of his instructors deliberately taught him incorrectly as if to enact some vendetta."

"Those are some serious accusations," stated the Hokage before allowing Kakashi to continue.

"Naruto and I have been destroying and then rebuilding his form from the ground up," said Kakashi. "I do believe that we have been somewhat unhonest during our missions in that Naruto and I have been sending clones to do the work for us while we refined his technique to an acceptable level."

"Acceptable is cutting your student's progress short," declared Hiashi.

"Kakashi, I would advise you and Naruto to join the rest of your team in your next missions," stated Sarutobi. "While I do not like what has been happening I can't say that I disapprove of your actions but if Naruto is up to the level that Hiashi tells me then I must congratulate you and hope that you now spend your time amongst your students equally."

Kakashi, accepting that as a dismissal, bowed slightly before exiting the room knowing full well that Hiashi and Sarutobi were going to discuss what they had heard. Making his way down the tower, he could tell that the village leader had only half believed his story and in return only given him a half believable answer. He didn't like lying to the Hokage but he couldn't really tell him that he'd been training fresh Genin off in the Forest of Death. Chances were that if he were to do just that his team would be transferred to someone more 'suitable' for the position.

During the journey through Wave he knew that they would spend their spare time breaking down what had already changed and how to prevent future changes. At the moment, things were already progressing too wildly and they needed to bring everything back a notch so that the timeline remained as similar as possible to the one they expected to occur.

Whether it was too late or not was yet to be seen.

...

 **Hope you enjoyed**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

...

Naruto couldn't help but laugh as Hanabi struggled to maintain her balance at a right angle to the ground. After Hinata had regained consciousness, Naruto had asked her what they had learned so far under Kurenai and had learned that they had yet to master the tree walking exercise, suddenly making it seem as if Kakashi was actually going at a normal pace first time round as opposed to just being lazy. Yet considering how much more Hinata knew in regards to scouting, trap preparation and wilderness survival brought that theory crashing down.

Thus Naruto had taken it upon himself to teach Hinata the chakra control exercise, one which Hanabi had wanted to attempt immediately. The relationship Hanabi had with her sister made the younger girl shine somewhat and Naruto could tell that the face the young Hyuga had been wearing before was similar to the mask of happiness he had constantly worn as a child.

Naruto wasn't particularly aware of clan politics but knew that they existed. Naruto merely assumed that Hanabi had to act the way she did in order to maintain her position within the family. While he could have simply asked for the details he felt like this was something that he shouldn't pry into too much.

Back to the task at hand, both Hanabi and Hinata had excelled in the tree climbing exercise much like Sakura had in the past. It wasn't surprising however to discover that while their control was almost perfect that their stamina left much to be desired. "Remember," shouted Naruto as both of his temporary pupils hung from a tree branch by nothing but the chakra keeping them attached. "Your chakra should be treated as any other muscle you use. Just like with your arms or your legs, you need to train your chakra in order to make it stronger."

Naruto knew that he the explanation he had given wasn't the greatest but hoped that they would understand the gist of it. If he went around sounding too smart then he figured that Hinata would figure something was up.

"Ano, N-Naruto-kun, when did you learn this?" asked Hinata as both she and her sister started to make their way down, both of them looking tired from the activity.

Naruto knew that he either had the option to tell her that he'd be learning it in a week's time or would have learned of it three years prior and be correct on both accounts. "Kakashi-sensei told me how terrible my chakra control was and made me learn it," answered Naruto not technically lying to the Kunoichi. "The main difference with me though is that I have so much chakra it's hard to control properly."

"Is there a reason why you have so much chakra?" asked Hanabi as both she and her elder sister touched the floor, both of them relieved to not be expelling chakra anymore.

"I'm going to be Hokage one day, it's only right that I have the most chakra!" boasted Naruto, chuckling lightly as he did so and hating every minute of it. Did he really sound like such a big headed idiot when he was younger? I mean sure his goal hadn't changed too much but it just kind of sounded ridiculous when he knew that Tsunade would become Hokage within the near future. Still though he had to keep up appearances. "Anyways, it's starting to get late and I should let the two of you head to bed. Wouldn't want you falling asleep in front of your sensei now would we? Keep up the good work Hinata, I want to see how much you've improved next time."

Naruto didn't wait for a response as he started leaping up and away from the Hyuga compound, confident that he had done enough to give Hinata an encouragement booster. He hoped that she would try to improve herself just so that she could show off to him somewhere down the track. While it didn't necessarily feel right to be manipulating the shy girl in such a way, Naruto hoped that the idea that he had driven into her mind would push her forward.

As Naruto bounded away, Hinata couldn't turn her gaze away from the direction that the blond haired Genin had run off in. Seconds ticked by before she eventually turned towards Hanabi who had a sickly grin on her face, the young girl knowing just what the elder sister was planing. "So early morning training?" suggested Hanabi, unable to wipe the smirk off her face.

...

Kakashi stood within the clearing where he knew his team would be arriving shortly. He wasn't meant to be here yet but considering that things were already starting to spiral out of control the Jonin sensei wasn't sure whether or not they'd be able to bring it back. His confrontation with the Hokage the previous night had given him much to think about and he wondered just how far the Sandaime would go if he wanted to delve into Team Seven's mind. He doubted that the leader of the village would ask for the help of the Yamanaka clan but Kakashi wouldn't rule that out as a possibility. The most likely course of action would be for the elderly man to spy on him and his team and there was only one spy master Kakashi knew the Hokage would trust with such an assignment.

Thrusting his gaze skywards, Kakashi knew that it would be almost impossible for them to accelerate the way they had been if Jiraiya started watching them from a distance. Naruto's chakra control was to the point where he would start teaching himself the rasengan soon. If the spy master witnessed the young Uzumaki mastering the technique that he was eventually going to teach them he would have a hard time explaining it. By all means he knew how to perform the rasengan as he had learned it from his sensei years ago but then he had to explain why he had taught an A ranked jutsu to a genin when there was no apparent need to do so.

Rubbing at the back of his head he contemplated what his next move was going to be. No matter what they did at this point the timeline had already diverged too much. They still knew however that there would be points in time that would remain absolute such as the timing of the Chunin Exams. He could only hope that the moves of Akatsuki were also absolute.

Hearing the sound of footsteps nearby, he turned his attention back towards the training ground where his three students were walking towards him. Each of them had a sombre look on their face and he knew that this was likely just from the fact that not only was he on time but he was here before they even made it. They knew something had happened, now he had to break it to them.

...

As Team Seven made their way towards the Hokage tower they were completely silent, each of the members of the younger generation slowly absorbing the information that Kakashi had told them. The Jonin hadn't let anything slide and had very firmly told them that they were no longer safe within their own village.

While this did seem to be the most drastic of wording, the three Genin had understood it perfectly. Their plan to lay low for the time being had backfired on them due to unforeseen obstacles and their wishing to shape the future how they wanted. Even as they walked towards their objective they glanced from side to side expecting to see ANBU guards watching their every movement.

"I wonder what we're going to be doing today!" shouted Naruto as he threw his hands in the air, as if stretching after a good night's sleep. With the mood they were in, this was completely uncalled for however it also spoke volumes considering that Sakura quickly picked up on what Naruto was trying to accomplish.

"If we're chasing Tora again, I'm making you hold him," declared the pink haired kunoichi knowing full well that they would be assigned the mission to capture Tora tomorrow before being bestowed the mission to Wave. Kakashi and Sasuke quickly jumped in on the conversation making it look like to every outsider that Team Seven was acting just like a fresh team of Genin would.

After making one smarky comment that earned him a devilish glare from Sakura, Kakashi zoned out of the conversation as he pulled the ever familiar book out of his pocket and raised it so that he could read Jiraiya's immaculate writing. Instead of rereading about the wonderful ordeals inside, Kakashi's eye gazed over the fine print as he glanced at rooftops, every so often noticing the familiar shine of an ANBU mask.

It seemed Naruto had been right in trying to diffuse the situation before it escalated further.

"What part of your story are you up to now?" asked Sasuke causing the other two members of Team Seven to become silent knowing full well that the Uchiha would never ask about the content of one of Kakashi's books.

"Well while some of the content may be too mature for your age, I'll just tell you that the main protagonist has just realized that she is being spied on," answered Kakashi. Sakura thankfully answered in the most believable way by saying that the Jonin's book should be burned but it was clear that she understood the meaning behind what Kakashi had said.

Eventually reaching their destination, neither member of the team broke their character as they proceeded up the steps towards the mission office. While Kakashi was the only one who was out of place at that moment in time it wasn't too drastic considering what he had been told the previous day. He was sure that he had a much more believable story lined up if the Hokage questioned him about why they were many hours earlier than normal.

Whilst ascending the steps, the Genin became more silent as they implications began to set in and Kakashi's warning held true. They were being followed and their actions would be reported back to the Hokage. The main question then was if there was anything they could do about it.

Opening the ever familiar door revealed that they weren't the only ones at the time who were receiving their mission for the day. Kurenai looked over her shoulder at Team Seven and momentarily flinched at the mere prospect of Kakashi being there at this moment in time before focusing herself on her team's mission for the day.

Team Seven was well aware of protocol and would have to wait patiently until Team Eight had been given their assignment. None of Kakashi's students particularly cared at that moment what mission their former classmates got given as there was little chance that it would alter the timeline further. They would discuss the future further when they were painting a fence or whatever mundane task they were given.

The Hokage had paused momentarily as he noticed Team Seven's entry, the elderly gentlemen having not expected Kakashi and his pupils so soon. He wouldn't say anything in front of anybody else in the room but he wasn't called The Professor for nothing. He would get to the bottom of this one way or another whether it took him a day or the rest of his life. Those thoughts though were for another occasion as he returned his focus to the pieces of parchment on his desk. "For Team Eight's next assignment we have either babysitting or..."

"With all due respect Hokage-sama," said Hinata causing the rest of her team to look at the usually timid kunoichi in shock, never having thought she would ever cut off the Hokage. "Since becoming Genin, we have served you loyally doing all of the tasks that you have given us to the best of our ability. If...if you wouldn't mind, could you possibly assign us a mission where we may prove ourselves further?"

The room was silent as Hinata's statement concluded and Naruto couldn't help but be somewhat proud in the Hyuga's eagerness. While it didn't look like much on the surface it was clear that Hinata was already making positive steps after their encounter two nights prior. While it was only a seedling at the moment it would undoubtedly grow to the point where Hinata would become a more capable kunoichi in the future which was what his goal had been.

"I applaud your courage Hinata and I too believe that your team is ready," said Sarutobi as he picked up a nearby mission scroll. "This here is a C ranked mission and if you and your team accept it you will be moving up in the world of shinobi."

"Of course we're ready!" boasted Kiba, excited about the possibility of a higher ranking assignment. While not as eccentric as his teammate, Shino did nod to show that he too wished to partake in this event. Kurenai meanwhile smiled at her team before looking at the Hokage with a glint in her eye; it would seem that she too believed that the Genin she had been assigned were ready.

"Very well, we have a client that is in need of protection," stated Sarutobi as a door nearby opened up and Team Seven had to do their absolute best in order not to allow their jaws drop in shock as they saw a very familiar face. Only a few weeks had passed since they had gained their status as a team and already the timeline had been altered to this degree. Worse part was at that moment in time, none of them could have predicted that this had even been a potential outcome.

The mission to Wave, had been given to Team Eight.

...

 **Hope you enjoyed**


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